Radio receiving set time control device



Jan. 16, 1940. A, CHENEY 2,187,373

RADIO RECEIViNG SET TIME CONTROL DEVICE Filed Dec. 16, 1936 AUTOMATIC TIME 0 0 KEEPING 55 57 MECHANISM Thomas A. Cheney Jgs-Q Patented Jan. 16, 1940 raisin Fries RADIO RECEIVING SET TIME CONTROL DEVICE Application December 16, 1936, Serial No. 116,163

3 Claims.

My invention relates to an automatic tuning device forradio receiving sets, and more particularly to such a device which can be set to control the'receiving set automatically at selected times to tune in or out a series of programs for which the apparatus has been arranged previously. This application discloses an improvement upon the device of Patent No. 2,060,037, and is particularly directed to the time control device, and to the mechanism whereby the automatic operation may be accomplished accurately on time.

It is often desired to listen to a sequence of programs throughout the day which may be selected from published lists of broadcast station programs. One may forget, however, to change the tuning of a radio receiving set from one station to another desired station precisely at the com mencement of a program which a listener wishes to hear. Moreover, if it is desired to hear two programs from the same station which are not consecutive, but it is not desired to hear the intervening program, the listener ordinarily would have to turn the set off, and then keep watch of the clock to turn it on again at precisely the proper time to hear the beginning of the subsequent program.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide mechanism which may be set in advance to operate at a later time either to turn the set on to a tuned station, to turn the set off, or to change the tuning of the set from one station to another, without attention of the operator. These various operations may be accomplished automatically in any sequence during a given time period, such as a' twelve-hour or a twenty-four hour interval, after the mechanism has been pre-set. It is necessary, however, that the change-over be made accurately on time, as otherwise the n: program is not tuned in from the beginning, or tuned in too early, interrupting a preceding prom. It is an object of this invention to provide mechanism which is accurate and quick-actl rig, to avoid such overlaps.

Especially is it my object to provide a mecha nism of the general type described, which will be of simple and rugged construction, and which will be extremely convenient to operate, yet which will be selective and accurate in its operation.

The objects more specifically inherent in the particular mechanism which I employ will become evident as the description thereof progresses.

My invention, then, comprises the novel construction of an automatic radio receiving set time control device shown in the drawing and described hereafter, with particular attention to the away, while Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the construction of the several principal element or my mechanism, and to the manner in which elements operate, both separately and in ccnju tion with the other elements of such a The drawing illustrates the particular rneeha- '5 nis. i in the form which I now prefer, represen ng an improvement over the mechanism disclosed in Patent No. 2,069,037, referred to above.

igure 1 is a front elevation view of a radio receiving set as it might with aunznia'tic tuning mechanism built into it.

Figure 2 a front elevation, with parts brsiten of the time-controlled station selector,

mechanism shown in Figure iliustr g the parts in a slightly 'diiierent relation. F as a transverse section of the time-contrblicd tion selector, taken along the line 3-5 cf 2.

In general the device illustrated incluc. s a time-controlled station selector, which is a device which may be set to close a selected circuit at a selected time in the future. Closing of such circuit may energize either a switching ci cu to control the set power circuits, or a drn circuit to control a reversible motor (not shown 26 herein, but such as is illustrated Patent No. 2,066,037, for instance) which drives a station timer, or completion of a circuit may accompiis both of these operations; arrangements to such ends are known, and any suitable arrangeme' may be employed. The station tuner, of 7 known type, in conjunction with the time-co; trolled stationselector, controls the driv g cuit of the motor and the switching circuit for the set power control. In addititon to the automatic mechanism certain manual controls may vided, which will be mentioned hereafter.

The time-controlled station selector he drivenby any suitable clock mechanism i, niechanically or electrically driven, which is pro- 40 vided with a long hour'hand arbor it is through a conventional clock face i 5, over \i nch the usual hour and minute hands move.

i is mounted. Between this ring 52 and plate is are secured in registering spaced relation a group of metal contact rings 21 lying in parallel planes and insulated from each other. The group whole defines a cylinder. Each ring is ccnnected to a station brush, which latter corresponds to a preselected frequency of the radio set circuit tuning device of a chosen station. These rings are at all times fixed in the group with relation to each other, and the rearmost ring is spaced 9 from the plate 20, as will be seen in Figure 4. The number of rings provided is, of course, a matter of choice. One is provided for each frequency to which the set is to be tuned.

An arm I2 is carried by the hour-hand arbor it to rotate an oscillatably mounted head carrying a finger it through a definite path. This finger i3 is disposed inside of the cylinder defined by the rings 2 I and lies parallel to the axis of such cylinder. As it rotates its path defines generally the surface of a cylinder of smaller diameter than that defined by the group of contactrings 28. The finger i3 is electrically connected through a brushing contact M to a ring it which defines a circuit common to all the station circuits 22.

To complete a connection between the finger i3 and some one ring 2 I, a plurality of connectors 23 are provided, which are carried by reciprocable sliders or rods 24, guided in the ring 2 and plate Ell. These rods may be shifted in and out, always remaining in position for engagement of the inner end of the connector 23 by the finger 13, but having its outer or blade end disposed in contact with any one selected ring 2!, according to the station which the listener desires to hear, or in the space between the last ring and the plate iii in which position no circuit will be completed between !5 and 22 when the inner end of the I connector 23 is engaged. I

After assembly the rods 24 cannot be withdrawn from the ring 2 because of the engagement of the contact 23 with the inner face of that ring. The connectors 23 are always kept in interconnecting "position byfiattening the sides of the rods 24 and extending them through slotted brackets 25, secured to the rear face of theplate 20. The rear ends of these rods are also notched at intervals, the spacing of such notches corresponding to the spacing of the rings 2!; see Figure 4. In these notches a spring detent 26 automatically engages, which detent may be punched outward from and formed integral with the bracket 25. I

In addition to the station contact rings 2i I provide a stop ring 2'! to which is connected a stop circuit 28. When any selected rod 24 is pulled clear out its contact 23 will engage this stop ring 21. When the finger 13' engages the connector 23, so disposed, at the time tov which the rod 24 corresponds, a circuit will be completed which will deenergize the set power circuits. Hence by manipulation of a single rod 24, through circuits not shown, but corresponding to such as'are shown in Patent No. 2,060,037, for instance, the radio receiving set may be controlled automatically, at the time corresponding to the selected rod, either to energize or to "deenergize the set power circuits, or merely to chang the tuning of the set without affecting the set power circuits.

I prefer that there be forty-eight of the rods 24 and their associated buttons, arranged about the space of a conventional twelve-hour clock, so that there will be a fifteen-minute time interval between adjacent buttons, and each button will always correspond to the same time. It is optional, however, whether there be forty-eight buttons or more or fewer than this number, or whether a twelve-hour or twenty-four-hour clock be employed, for in any case the principle of operation is the same. g

It has been found difiicult in such devices to insure that contact is made at precisely the proper time, or within a few seconds thereof. I have devised mechanism which will operate to make contact between the finger l3 and the connector 23 within a rarge of approximately ten seconds,

and without requiring extraordinary precision in manufacture or assembly.

The means which I employ for obtaining this accurate operation consists of a toothed cam l6 secured in fixed position relative to the plate 23, over which cam rides a pin l7, carried by the head which supports the finger [3, the pin I1 constituting a cam follower. This head is pivoted upon the arm I2, and the arm and head are interconnected by a spring I8 which urges the follower l1 into engagement with the cam. As the arm I2 is rotated by the clock arbor, therefore, the pin I! will ride up on the sloping faces of the cam, which action will rock the head and its finger l3 gradually to displace the latter away from and out of contact with the connector 23. When the next instant for connection arrives the pin II will ride over the top of a cam tooth, and the spring I8 will draw the pin end of the head down as the pin drops to the valley. An instantaneous contact will consequently be made between the finger l3 on the opposite end of the oscillatable head, and the connector 23 on the rod M, corresponding tothe valley of the cam into which the follower H has dropped. Thus for each rod 2d there is a valley in the cam it, and each valley is cut precisely for the time to which its respective rod corresponds.

The station tuner and setting means therefor are provided. tov effect movement of the circuit tuning device of the receiving set in an automatic manner, according to the particular circuit 222 closed by the time-controlled station selector. Since the particular mechanism and arrangement to this end is not part of the present invention, it is only necessary to note that it includes knobs movable along slots 3! and 32, which are disposed concentrically with the axis of rotation of the usual manual station tuner, circuit tuning device of the radio receiving set, and the dial control therefor, as shown in Figure 1'. The position of each knob 35 along its slot determines the setting of the set tuning means, by mechanism not necessary to illustrate, since such arrangements are known.

A switch is provided at 5| to render the automatic tuning mechanism effective or ineffective at will. When it is closed the automatic mechanism may operate, and when it is open the automatic mechanism will not operate. Push buttons and 51 are provided to initiate or to terminate operation of the set, by circuits not necessary'to describe, but usual in radio receiving sets.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A radio receiving set time control device,

comprising time-keeping mechanism, an arm rotated thereby, a single elongated contact carried by said arm in a path defining the surface of a cylinder, a plurality of reciprocable station selecting members defining the surface of a cylinder of larger diameter than the path of said contact, a plurality of stationary contact rings to engage the connector of any selected station selecting member with any selected contact ring, and means for completing a circuit through such selected station selecting member and contact ring upon engagement of said arm contact with the connector of the station selecting member selected.

2. A radio receiving set time control device, comprising time-keeping mechanism including a rotatable arbor, an arm carried by said arbor, a plurality of annularly disposed contacts arranged concentrically about said arbor, a generally circular toothed earn arranged concentrically of said arbor and fixed with relation to said contacts, finger pivotally mounted on said arm to rock: with respect thereto for engagement with said contacts one at a time, and a cam follower carried by said arm and engageable with said cam to control rocking of said finger into engagement with the respective contacts at predetermined times.

3. A radio receiving set time control device, comprising'timakeeping mechanism including a rotatable arbor, an arm carried by said arbor, a

generally triangular head pivoted by an apex on the free end of said arm, a contact member on a swinging apex of said head, a plurality of annularly disposed contact points arranged concentrically about said arbor and engageable one at a time by said contact member, a generally circular toothed cam arranged concentrically of said arbor and fixed with. relation to said contacts, and having a valley corresponding to each contact point, cam follower carried by the third ape of said head, and a spring reacting between said arm and said head to press the cam follower continuously into contact with said cam and to snap the head contact member into instantaneous engagement with a contact point as the follower is drawn into the cam valley corresponding to such contact point.

THOMAS A. CHENEY. 

